The Heart Of London

Chapter Eighteen

"The hell is Salmon Oscar?" Stone was heading out into the hospital parking lot with his cell tucked between his chin and ear as he unlocked his truck. "Sorry, didn't mean to say Hell.  What if we had that healthy pizza thing again?... Yeah, flatbread. I kind of liked that.  ... Fine. Just text me what to pick up."

As he hung up the phone, he heard an all too familiar scoff and turned around to face Stacey leaning against a red car, having a smoke. "Are you telling me someone has Sutton Hart eating healthy?"

Stone cringed at his given name as he turned and met Stacey's gaze; her eyes were puffy and tired, and it was impossible to feel anything but empathy for her.

"Loni and her heart and all... Ava thinks I should balance better," Stone explained hastily.

"If you found someone you'll listen to, you better hold on," Stacey advised.

"It's not like that," Stone was gripping the handle of his truck uncomfortably, desperately wanting to escape the conversation.

"You just apologized for swearing," Stacey gave him a pointed look.

"I ain't talking about this with you, of all people."

"I deserve that."

"What's done is done."

"I wasn't in a good place then. My head wasn't right. It's not an excuse but a reason, I guess."

"I'm not the one you need to talk to about that."

"You would be one of the two people I should talk to about that," she countered.

"I'm not mad at you now, Stacey," Stone shrugged. "You were a kid, and so was I. Kit and I got by, and we got a tight bond. I don't care about me. Make things right with her."

"I'd like to," Stacey's voice dropped. "But is it possible?"

"Yeah, our girls got a big heart."

🌹🌹🌹

The long day of waiting was making Kit antsy, so she left the cafeteria and headed toward the parking lot for some air. Just as she pushed the big doors open and walked out, Stacey, smelling heavily of cigarette smoke, was about to walk in.

The older woman took a step back almost as if on instinct, and it took everything in Kit not to turn and run around inside. Instead, she stood still, facing the woman she'd cried so many tears over as a child, and harbored so much anger for as a teen, until finally, as an adult, she reached indifference.

How could she tear open old wounds now? But as she stood there and her eyes met the reddened and broken ones of her mother's, the better question was, how could she not?

"You're here already?" Kit questioned. "Is she?"

"Not yet," Stacey spoke quietly. "They're preparing her for transfer; moving a comatose patient is slow."

"Yeah, I can imagine it is."

There was an awkward moment as they fell silent, Kit ran a hand through her hair as Stacey shifted to her feet.

"I just saw your dad," Stacey broke the silence. "He looks good."

"For how much weed he smokes and beer he drinks, he's surprisingly spry," Kit agreed with a short chuckle.

"Well, his new girlfriend has him eating healthy that's a shocking start for him."

"Wait, what?" Kit's eyes shot wide open. "Girlfriend?"

"I heard him talking to an Ava about salmon and flatbread."

"Oh, Ava's not his girlfriend," Kit smiled as realization set in. "That's Loni's boyfriend's mom. They're staying with him for a while."